Common Control DLL and MSIE4.0 distribution

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

  The following is a letter by Brian Glaeske, a software developer, to the
  US DOJ, regarding the Common Control DLL.  Microsoft's licensing
  requires developers who want to distribute this DLL to also distribute
  MSIE4.0
  
  The URL for the license is:
  http://www.microsoft.com/msdn/sdk/inetsdk/help/itt/IEProg/Licensing.htm#ch_MSHTML_licensing
  
  The letter follows:
  
  -----------------------------
  Subject: Microsoft Antitrust
     Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 11:51:37 -0600
     From: Brian Glaeske <bglaeske@cogs.gps.com>
   Organization: Great Plains Software
       To: "'antitrust@usdoj.gov'" <antitrust@usdoj.gov>
  
  
  Joel I. Klein
  Assistant Attorney General
  Antitrust Division
  U.S. Department of Justice
  Washington, DC
  antitrust@usdoj.gov
  
  Dear Mr. Klein:
  
  I am writing to ask the Department of Justice (DOJ) to protect consumers
  by taking action to prevent Microsoft from using anticompetitive
  practices to  monopolize the market for Internet browsers. Specifically,
  Microsoft should not be permitted to force third party developers to
  redistribute Microsoft Internet Explorer in order to use features found
  in a programming API (Application Program Interface).
  
  A specific API shipped originally with the Microsoft Windows 95 OS
  (Operating System) and was just recently enhanced with new features that 
  make it attractive for third party developers to use. This API is known
  to developers as the Common Control DLL. Because this is an enhancement
  to the OS that came after the initial release of Microsoft Windows 95,
  it is necessary for third party developers to distribute the updated OS 
  components with their software in order to ensure that their software
  works properly. However, Microsoft is not allowing developers to
  redistribute only the components that they need, instead Microsoft is
  demanding that Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 is distributed with the
  third party software
  
  It is the responsibility of DOJ to ensure that Microsoft does not use
  its OS monopoly to monopolize the market for applications. I believe
  that forcing third party developers to distribute Microsoft Internet
  Explorer is a blatant anti-competitive act.
  
  Sincerely,
  Brian Glaeske
  1539 14th St. S.
  Fargo, ND 58103-4001
  bglaeske@cogs.gps.com